Paying it Forward

Through endowed scholarships, alumni are investing in the students, experiences, and ideas that will shape the legal profession.

Teresa and Ralph Yanello ’72

Decades after UC Law SF helped shape their own futures, Ralph Yanello ’72 and Jo Ann ’87 and Michael Montoya ’87 are creating opportunities for those who will follow. Through scholarship support, they are investing in students whose journeys are just beginning.

When Ralph and his wife, Teresa, committed $500,000 to establish the Ralph and Teresa Yanello Scholarship Endowment in 2023, they wanted to support students with a demonstrated interest in entrepreneurship. Now retired, Ralph built a career that spanned private practice, corporate innovation, and the development of legal technology and compliance solutions.

“I had an abiding obligation to give back because my legal education played a major role in my success as an entrepreneur,” Ralph said. “So, I wanted to help students who were serious about entrepreneurship as it’s related to the law.”

Ralph enrolled at the law school in 1969, when the College was housed in a single building. Today, the school has grown to three state-of-the-art structures, including student housing, and is in the midst of a major renovation of the tower at 100 McAllister St. “Look at it now,” he said.

Jo Ann ’87 and Michael Montoya ’87

For Jo Ann and Michael Montoya, giving back is equally personal. The couple met at UC Law SF and went on to successful legal careers in Southern California, Jo Ann with a focus on insurance law and Michael in the energy sector. During his time on campus, Michael participated in the Legal Education Opportunity Program (LEOP), which supports students who have overcome significant life obstacles. The Montoyas’ $100,000 endowed scholarship helps today’s LEOP students pursue their dreams.

“It is no understatement to say that UC Law SF changed our lives,” the Montoyas said. “We are proud to be in a position to give back.”